Ramblings
by RiteOnTime
Summary: Beginnings of a compilation of PJO/HoO ficlets. Probably. Individual descriptions will be posted for each story. Rating subject to change.
1. What He Thinks

**A/N: Post-Tartarus narrative focusing on Percy and Annabeth. Fluffy, and a bit cheesy, but something I needed to write if only for myself.**

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He thinks that maybe this is what it's like to be a normal kid. Aside from the middle of a war, doom and gloom stuff going on around him of course. But sitting with your girlfriend under the stars… normal people do that, right?

Part of him thinks that he's being incredibly selfish because he's not trying to strategize or practice his swordplay or help someone else practice. He was with Annabeth by himself for the majority of the time they were in Tartarus and all he's doing is sitting on the deck with her. There really isn't time for breaks right now.

It's only part of him that thinks he's being selfish though. The other part thinks that their time alone is well-deserved. Seeing the stars, being back on the ship, and breathing fresh, clean air have made him somewhat sentimental. What's so wrong with wanting to hold on to one of the few good moments sprung from this whole ordeal?

Percy puts his arm around Annabeth's shoulders, and she leans into him. Not for the first time, he revels in just how lucky they are. At the same time, he tries not to think about what else awaits them in the east. For now all he wants is to relax, hold on to something happy, and give himself and Annabeth something to combat the nightmares with.

So he looks at her, and he shifts a bit as he puts his hand on her cheek. She looks up at him and knows that the haunted look in her eyes might never go away. But he wants to try anyway. He leans forward and kisses her and hopes she understands that there's nothing he can say; just that he wants to hold on to them, right now, together.

When she pulls back to look at him, he thinks that she knows about the things he can't say right now, or doesn't have the words for. He thinks he sees hope as well.

"Wanna tell me about New Rome?" she asks. That's a conversation for another time though, when the future isn't so uncertain and full of ominous prophecies. Which, to be fair, have become pretty common.

"Let's win this war first," he answers, kissing her once more before they have to give this up.


	2. Blue Pancakes

It's not like Annabeth and I bonded over some shared experience which led to us becoming fast friends. In fact, I just felt uncomfortable around her for months. She was always so distant and cold and exactly like someone who had lost her boyfriend and couldn't do anything about it.

Annabeth threw herself at the plans for the _Argo._ It was like she worked twenty-four hours a day and didn't have time for anything else. And since I was going on the maiden voyage, she and I had to interact which included talking, which I was scared of. Despite how standoffish she was, I couldn't help but admire her a little bit.

When I decided that I wanted to learn how to use a knife in combat a little better, everyone told me to talk to Annabeth because "she was the best." So I asked her, and she agreed to teach me. The way she moved was amazing and when I attempted to imitate her, I had to have looked like an idiot. Instead of getting impatient, she corrected my grip, slowed down her movements so I could follow.

After that I tried to make polite conversation with her which mostly consisted of me asking about what she was currently working on for the _Argo_. She seemed less tense when she talked about her work and her ideas. Once, just after breakfast, I walked into the workshop, bagel in hand, only to have it plucked from my hand as Annabeth kept walking.

I took that to be a good sign and when I talked to her, I tried to say something funny to get her to smile. At first she just gave me these looks that got me to shut up immediately, but after a while she began to smile. She even laughed once, which I interpreted as a victory. People at camp tried to steer clear of her, aside from a select few, and I didn't see any harm in trying to be her friend.

As winter turned into spring, Annabeth began to open up, albeit slowly. It started with her complaining about high school, because for some reason she kept going. And then she started just talking; about her family, about growing up at camp. She still never talked about Percy.

The _Argo_ was nearing completion before Annabeth started talking about him. At first just things he used to do, what his favorite color was, his mom. And then she told me about the quests they had gone on together and the battles they had fought and why his favorite color was blue. She didn't have to say it, but it was painfully obvious she was in love with him and as I got to know her more, I couldn't help but want to find the Roman camp as soon as possible so that Annabeth wouldn't continue running herself into the ground.

I began taking my breakfast to the workshop in the mornings, and Annabeth would usually eat half, which I didn't mind. She actually smiled on a semi-occasional basis. Sometimes she would even crack a joke. And all the while I didn't notice that we had actually become friends. Not until right before we left for the west coast that is.

This morning I had taken my breakfast to the workshop as usual. Annabeth, Leo, Jason, and I were set to leave with Coach Hedge in two days, the _Argo_ all but completed save for what Leo proclaimed were necessary last minute tweaks.

"Okay," Annabeth started after dropping her fork onto my plate. "I'm going to say this once and if you ask why then I'm going to take it back. Thank you, Piper." I knew what she meant. It was impossible not to know.

"You're welcome," I said, unable to hold back a smile. She grimaced, but continued on as if nothing happened, which I was not going to let her get away with. "We're buds," I said, laughing as she made a face. "Pals, even. Friends. Sistahs from otha mistahs."

"Dork," she said, trying and failing to hide a smile. But what mattered to me was that I had done something to help, and that it had been helping Annabeth through missing Percy.

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**A/N: Piper, ever the caring and compassionate person, would no doubt seek to help Annabeth. And their friendship is so important.**


End file.
